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Specific Questions about Homekill and Recreational Catch Use

The NZFSA has put together the following questions and answers based on its experience with those involved with homekill and recreational catch.

Can homekill or recreational catch meat be traded?

Homekill meat or recreational catch cannot be traded for human or animal consumption. Only regulated meat can be traded.

Homekill or recreational catch meat is not regulated and has not passed ante mortem and post mortem inspection so there can be no assurance of safety. The definition of trade under the Animal Products Act means to sell for human or animal consumption and includes, among other things, bartering, supplying as part of a contract, supplying as part of a charge for another good or service, and using for advertisement, prize or fundraising.

Can any parts of homekill or recreational catch be traded?

Yes. The Animal Products Act allows for the trade in parts of homekill and recreational catch that are not for human or animal consumption (ie NOT MEAT, such as hides, skins, horns, antlers). The Act also allows for parts of homekill and recreational catch to be sold or disposed of to a renderer.

Can you feed your homekill or recreational catch meat to your family or household visitors?

Yes. You can feed homekill and recreational catch meat to visitors as long as it is not in exchange for money or other goods or services.

Can you barter homekill and recreational catch meat with friends, neighbours?

No. Barter is when you exchange homekill or recreational catch for other goods or services. Barter constitutes trade, and the barter of homekill and recreational catch is prohibited under the Animal Products Act.

Can you raffle homekill and recreational catch meat or provide it for a raffle?

No. You can not raffle homekill meat or use it for promotional purposes. These activities constitute trade.

Can you feed homekill and recreational catch meat to paying guests?

Generally no. Those who supply a meal as part of an accommodation, recreational or tourist package including homestays, hunting lodges, marae visits, or tourist barbecues, cannot use homekill or recreational catch product as part of the food provided to their customers.

The only exception from this prohibition is that a restaurant, hunting lodge, game estate etc may serve as a meal to the hunter/catcher and members of the hunter/catcher's party, the game or fish that the particular individual or their party have killed or caught. This game or fish should not be served generally to other guests.

Paying guests also include those who pay board, fees or other forms of payment as part of an accommodation package. Residents at boarding schools, hospitals, prisons and other institutions are treated as paying guests (through contract or statutory arrangement). Institutions cannot serve homekill and should provide meat from a regulated abattoir.

Can a farmer provide homekill meat to an employee?

A farmer may supply homekill product to an employee of the farmer who is employed in an ongoing manner in farming operations for the use or consumption of that employee (including his or her family or household).

What about homekill or recreational catch meat for the marae?

Those running functions at marae need to decide whether their function is traditional/cultural or commercial or social. Whatever it is, no trading of homekill meat is legal. For guidance:

• In the traditional context (e.g. activities within the iwi or hapu, including hui, tangihanga and unveilings), the assumption is that there is no element of trading. Homekill meat can be used.

• In the commercial context (including hui held for other organisations) it is assumed that money will have changed hands, albeit in the form of a koha - IRD policy on GST and taxation of koha can provide guidance on what is a 'commercial' activity. Meat supplied for commercial activity must be from the regulated system, i.e. abattoir or retail outlet, and not homekill.

• In the social context, there is a mix of situations and each would need to be considered by marae members on its merits. Generally, if money changes hands homekill meat should not be used even if the participants are aware that homekill is being offered.

What about homekill or recreational catch for ethnic and religious groups?

Individual animal owners belonging to a particular group may consume their own homekill animal, but they cannot supply or distribute this product to a wider group. Only meat that is from the regulated system, e.g. from a licensed abattoir, can be traded. No place, including churches, mosques and other religious or ethnic group gathering places, can be used as a distribution point for homekill meat.

Disclaimer:

This publication is not a legal interpretation of the Animal Products Act or the Animal Products (Ancillary and Transitional Provisions) Act and is intended only as a guide.